<ol>Born and raised in Fairfield County, Michael has always admired the jingle shells since he first saw them on the sandy beach. The shells beauty, colors, translucency and shimmering qualities always intrigued Michael. He wondered what could be created with them. Inspired by the imported shell items seen in stores and use in interior design. Michael formulated a chemical process to soften and flatten the jingle shells. Michael collects the shells at the beach, as the water recedes and deposits them on the sand. The process he discovered takes about three weeks to clean and soften the shells. Afterwards, the shells become pliable , and he is able to seperate their layers, and apply them to surfaces flat and curved. Allowing the shells beauty to be viewed in a new way. Michael has used the shells in jewelry, decorative items, and art panels, hes even covered other shells with the jingle shells. After the soaking process the shells can also be crushed creating a paste that can be molded creating a 3 dimensional object such as the seahorse on the forehead of the head bust. <br>The shell panel received Honorable Mention from the Milford Arts Council, and has also been displayed at the Guilford Art Show. </ol>
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